Dare To Be Domestic

Eat Good & Eat Cheap in Los Angeles

If you don't know you better ask somebody!  This week and next (excluding the weekends) is Restaurant Week in Los Angeles, also known as DineLA.  Participating restaurants — and there are lots of 'em — have set aside special meal deals for their patrons.  And we are not talking about any ol' restaurants.  These are the best of the best.  Here are a few of my favorite establishments that will be participating:

BLT Steak

BLD - Best pancakes ever!

Asia de Cuba

Luna Park

Taste

The Bungalo Club

The Penthouse at The Huntley - Contemporary dining at its best

The Sky Room

The Bazaar By Jose Andres

Oooohhhh!  I think you get my drift.  So break out your little black dress and/or blazer and live the good life with good food.  For more information on DineLA visit their website.  And if you are not lucky enough to be in LA for this amazing week of food, why not try a little Restaurant Week simulation at home?  Go ahead, cook your own three course meal, and be sure to use all your best linens, silverware and china.  Invite your friends over and make an event of it.  I Dare You To Be Domestic!

The $20.00 Date – How To Hit The Town With Little Or No Money.

Alright guys and gals, it’s time to get a little budget dating insight. So it’s Saturday afternoon and your significant other calls you up and wants to hit the town. Problem is you are absolutely broke. You just paid rent along with your student loan, and your car insurance is due next week. I get it. I’ve got the answer: The $20.00 Date.

Why is it we are taught to budget everything in our lives except our social activities? Now, I’m not cheap and I do enjoy a good time, but I just don’t believe money is a direct reflection of how much fun you are going to have.

Like many people, I enjoy discovery and discovery is always free. Here are some of my best tips and tricks. Remember, when alcohol is involved, you should not be driving. Cool.

Great Dates do the following:
• Start or end with a cocktail
• Have good food
• Involve exploring or learning something new

DATE 1: The Daytime Date

DRINKS:
Show up to your date’s house with a nice bottle of wine. You can get a quality bottle of wine for under $6. Sometimes even lower.

FOOD:
Buy a small lunch at a market or grocery store and get it to go. This is both romantic and an adventure. Great eateries like Whole Foods have amazing salad bars with many options. Don’t be scared of the prices; just go for the “light weight” options. Grab a container and load it with fresh greens, olives, cheese and grains, and maybe a few pieces of fruit. Aim to create a smorgasbord of appetizers rather than a formal meal. Grab two waters and your total bill should be around $13.00. Remember it’s not all about getting full, it’s about discovery. Trying new foods makes for great conversation.

LOCATION:
Take your lunch to a local park to dine. Walking is free and great exercise. Pack a blanket in a shoulder bag to use here, along with a corkscrew and cups for the wine.

TOTAL DATE: $19.00

DATE 2: The Evening Date

DRINK/FOOD:
Forehand research and planning are key. Think of your favorite Mom & Pop spots. Which have the biggest sized portions? Who has the best deal for happy hour? To keep prices low, try splitting an entrée and this will allow you to order two drinks. Don’t look at this as a cheap eat alternative, look at it as a “cultural experience.” To foster engaging conversation, be prepared to tell your date all about the place you are dining in. Maybe it’s a 50-year-old Mexican restaurant, or maybe it’s a family spot where the grandmother cooks everything that comes to your table. With just one entrée and two drinks at happy hour, you should come in just under your budget.

ENTERTAINMENT:
Dancing is a fun, free activity. But when you show up to a club at midnight, you are most likely going to have to pay a cover. Again, research and planning are key. Think of your favorite nightclubs and find out which one offers no cover charge within a certain time period and plan on arriving then. Once inside, find a quiet place for conversation and then dance the night away!

TOTAL DATE: $20.00

Other low cost ideas:

Local discount theaters – The movies may be 2 weeks or more out of date, but chances are there is something neither of you have seen. Bring your own snacks in a shoulder bag—but not typical movie theater food. (This way you won’t look cheap.) Roasted almonds anyone?

Museums – Most have a free day. Check their websites to find out when.

The Exercise Date – Put on some gym clothes and hit the trails. A good hike encourages cooperation, discovery and quiet reflection.

A great attitude fosters fun, not a huge wallet. Lemme know what you do on your $20 date!

Get Up, Get Out, & Do Something!

This past Sunday I heard about a local festival sponsored by Downtown Los Angeles called The Grand Ave Festival. So I grabbed some friends, some more reluctant than others, to come with me and have a little fun!

We had a ball and spent little to no money. There is nothing like the sights and sounds of a good ole fashioned street festival. I’m sharing a few pics with you to get you excited and inspired to explore your own city!

Here are some tips for having a low cost and super fun festival weekend experience:

• Check online and find your city calendar to stay on top of when these types of events happen. Any email lists you can join make this easy.

• Always grab an events guide from the actual event. This will help you arrange your time at the festival. I know you might feel like a dork but get over it—especially us guys; we don’t like maps and planners LOL!

• Arrive early so you can get stress free parking, sometimes this even means free parking (which I did this past weekend). Public transportation is a great idea too.

• Meet your locals. I met so many interesting business contacts and locals during the event.

• Buy great foods—we enjoyed amazing cuisine this weekend all drastically discounted for the event—but bring your own drinks to stay hydrated. Drinks are always set at out of control prices at these kinds of events.
  

If you really wanna laugh, check out this clip of 500+ festival visitors doing the Electric Slide. HAHAHAHA. Too fun!

and this video is completely pointless but it makes me LOL! Listen to the small talk in the background... Take a look.

Lata. DJ

Plant A Seed To Grow A Community

Since I’ve started writing this blog I have found less and less time for the television. But when I do find the time, I’m all over it. Today I was flipping through my normal channel regimen: HGTV, Bravo, D.I.Y. Network, MSNBC and then CNN. On CNN they were covering a story on a Will Allen and his non-profit Growing Power Inc. The story sent a chill throughout my body; and a tear to my eye, but in a good way. Growing Power Inc. is a worthwhile cause we all should know about.

Will Allen is a former NBA basketball player, now retired, who helps inner city children—whose neighborhoods’ idea of a supermarket is the local liquor shop—learn agricultural techniques to grow their own food. They learn everything from composting to actually cropping their harvest. He said in his interview something quite profound, which I wrote down: “When we grow soil, we grow food, to grow people, who grow communities.” WOW!

Hats off to Mr. Allen who recently received a grant for ½ million dollars from the MacArthur Fellowship. Take a look at the video to learn more. His inspirational story is truly what Dare To Be Domestic is all about! Please help to spread the word. Find more information and make a donation on his site www.growingpower.org.

Keep The Change: A Lesson On Tip Etiquette

It’s the long contested debate. How much tip to leave? I consider myself a great tipper but it would sure be nice to know what everyone else thinks? Let's take a quick look at tip etiquette. Let's go!

WHY WE TIP
Often we tip out of pure habit, even when service is bad. Why do we feel so much darn guilt when we leave and don’t tip? Well it's partly cultural and partly conditioning. I was surprised during my first trip to Europe that we were not expected to tip. In Germany, I was given the money back and told I was “so American” – interesting. So, since we all do it, we might as well figure out how to make it as easy as possible… Here's how it works.

ITS ALL ABOUT PERCENTAGES (Hang in there)

If you remember fifth grade math, a percentage means a number per hundred. To get the decimal form of a percentage, you divide it by one-hundred (or, simply move the decimal point two digit places to the left).

7.25% would be 0.0725
30% would be 0.30
43.5% would be 0.435
5% would be .05

So for a 20% tip: .20 x (times) a bill totaling $82.50 would amount to a tip of $16.50 – EASY.

TIPPING SHORTCUTS

Now for the shortcuts! Depending on your state, base your tip off of the sales tax (unless you live in Delaware). My two examples will be California and Maryland, two states in which I have lived.

Los Angeles, CA: Sales tax is 8.25%, so if I DOUBLE the tax I would be leaving a tip of 16.5%, a tip for average service. In Los Angeles, a 20% tip is often expected as the minimum in restaurants.

Gaithersburg, MD: Sales tax is 6%, so if I TRIPLE the tax I would be leaving a tip of 18%. A very good tip.

Fun and easy. Using the sales tax is a good way to get a grasp on how much you will be leaving without having to break out a calculator at the dinner table—which I DO NOT suggest. EVER. One of my best friends always does this and it drives me crazy!

“HOW MUCH” DO WE LEAVE AND “FOR WHO”?

Food Service

Barista
No tip required. It’s your call. In our days of daily Starbuck and Coffee Bean visits, I suggest throwing whatever coins you get back into the tip jar.

Bartender
$1/drink or 15-20% of total bill

Delivery Person (including pizza)
First check your receipt to make sure you are not already being charged a delivery fee. If you are, then I’d say $2.00. If there is no delivery charge, then tip 10% of bill, but at least $2.00.

Maitre D’
$5-$20 for special efforts.

Takeout
No tip required, but often the folks working the takeout counter are acting as a waiter/waitresses in ordering your food, so I’d say tip 10% for their trouble.

Waiter
15% for adequate service, 20% for great service, and 25% for exceptional service. For poor service, leave 10% or less. If your conversation at dinner revolves around how bad the service is then I’d say leave no tip at all—but, I’d make sure the waiter is not to blame. Let a manger know why you are leaving no tip.

Hotel Staff - Bellman/Porter
$1 per bag with a $2 minimum

Concierge
$5-$20 depending on the service. $20 if he does something exceptional. Nothing for directions.

Housekeeper
$2 to $5 per night, paid daily or as a lump sum at checkout. Better to tip daily.

Parking Valet
$2, some suggest $5. I would base my tip on the fee the valet charges.

Room Service
$5 minimum, unless gratuity is included in check.

Travel

Bus Driver (not mass transit)
$1 to $2, if they handle your luggage.

Cab Driver
10%, $2-$5 minimum.

Chauffeur
10-15%

Gas Station Attendant
Nothing for self-service. $2-$4 for full service.

Porter/Skycap
$1 per bag. $2 for heavy items, or if porter brings luggage to counter.

Personal Service

Barber/Hairstylist
Again, little agreement: 10-15% / 15-20%, etc. $5 to shampoo girl.

Manicurist
15%

Spa Service
15-20%

Masseuse
10-15%

Shoe-shiner
$2 or $3

Coat-checker
Most sites recommend $1 per coat, though one said $2 to $5 upon retrieval.

Furniture Deliverer
Most of the time $5-$20.

Grocery Store Bagger
Not required.

Mover
$10-$25 per person.

TIPPING FOR THE HOLIDAYS

What about tipping at holidays? Tipping service people with whom you have regular contact can build goodwill.

Babysitter: one week’s pay
Doorman: bottle of wine, box of chocolates or gift card.
Garbage Collector: bottle of wine, box of chocolates or gift card (if you ever see them)
Gardener: one week’s pay
Housekeeper: one week’s pay
Mail Carrier: bottle of wine, box of chocolates or gift card.
Nanny: one week’s pay
Newspaper delivery person: $15 to $25
Parking Attendant: $15 to $25
Personal Trainer: $20 to $50
Strippers: We won’t go there…. LOL!

When in doubt, tip! Hope you enjoyed and learned. Let me know how you tip?